Come to My Window
by Sailorprinzess
Summary: 18 yr old Emma meets Killian, who is an exchange student, during her senior year of high school. They share a teenage romance, both knowing it is destined to end after the school year. 10 years later, she finds herself face to face with Killian, and still heartbroken. Will their love as teens heal them as adults? This story is told through the present and past, just like the show.


Prologue

Emma lay in her bed, her room shrouded in darkness after just turning off her bedside lamp. Her body was cocooned with a few layers of blankets, weighing her down as she stared at the soft luminosity of the glow-in-the-dark stars that created a random pattern on her ceiling.

The warm comfort she currently felt begged for her to close her eyes and let the eventual coming of sleep to take her. It had been a long day at school, but she knew she couldn't succumb to the urge. She needed to stay awake just a tad bit longer, no matter how heavy her eyelids felt or how fast her back muscles relaxed into sunken center of her mattress that has contoured the shape of her body for the past six years.

 _Tap. Tap._

Her reason why she couldn't fall asleep was at her window. She grinned, pushing off the blankets, feeling a jolt of excitement as her feet touched the floor. She was already dressed to sneak out, only needing to tie her feet securely in her black, faded Converses. Lifting the hood on her zip-up hoodie, she walked toward her window with the quietest tip-toeing she could manage through her newfound energy.

On the other side of her bedroom window, Killian sat on a thick tree branch that, over the years, conveniently had grown parallel to her windowsill. It had been there for a while, but only just recently had it gained a sense of purpose, thanks to having a boyfriend who prefers to use it as a method of sneaking her out of the house while her parents are sleeping.

She slowly opened the window by lifting the latch and pushing open the double panes that formed the bay window she often used as a nook to read.

"Hi, love," he said. "Do you have it?"

"I do," she replied, and motioned to the bag snug on her back.

"Perfect," he said, and reached out his hand to offer support as she swung her legs out of her window so they dangled in mid-air off the ledge. She scooted forward a little bit, and extended her left leg to wrap around the limb. He helped her with balance as she continued to move her other leg all the way around the branch, letting her straddle with both legs.

Killian made his way to the trunk of the tree, holding on to branches above for reinforcement as he shifted his weight inch by inch. Emma followed closely behind, trying her best not to make a sound loud enough to wake her restful parents. It was difficult, due to the mixture of fear and excitement rushing through her, but a part of her didn't care if they discovered that she had left her bed. Rules didn't matter when it came to Killian, whatever the consequence, she'd face it head on, if it meant that she'd get to be with him.

He was the first to plant his feet safely on the Earth below, securing his stance in order to assist her as she climbed down the trunk. Her arms and legs weren't long enough to completely wrap around the trunk to have a secure hold. Therefore, when she got midway down, he placed his hands on the thick of her thighs to aid in her descent. The bark brushed against her skin, scraping her with its harsh and unforgiving exterior, but once she felt his strength, she loosened her grip slightly, and made it to the ground with ease.

She turned around, still in the parameter of the wingspan of his arms. "Hi," she said with a smile.

He planted the slightest of kisses on her forehead, and took her hand. "Let's go, or we are going to miss it!"

The two of them left her yard, making sure to slowly close the gate behind them and latching the lock as quietly as possible, since it tends to have a loud creaking noise due to the rust it has gained over the years. They then stood on either side of his motorcycle, and pushed it along the streetlight-lit pavement until the stop sign at the end of the street. Strapping helmets on, they straddled the padded seat, and Emma eagerly folded her arms around his waist. She smiled in delight, as his muscular belly and back were a stark contrast to the tree's stiff trunk. His muscles tightened in response to her embrace, but they quickly softened as he placed a hand on her grasp before he turned the key in the ignition.

Killian took care not to rev the engine excessively as he drove through the neighborhood. It was almost midnight, and they were out past the town's mandated curfew, even for a weekend night. They wouldn't necessarily get in too much trouble, since Emma's dad is the sheriff, but she also didn't want to spend one of the last remaining nights they have together sitting in confines of the police station.

She closed her eyes, getting lost in the vibration of the seat and the warmth of his body so close to hers, she never wanted the night to end. If only she could stop time and rewind it to the first day they met, and then put it on a continuous repeat; then she wouldn't have to let go.

She wouldn't have to say goodbye.

The smell of saltwater filtered into her helmet as they got closer to the public beach. Over the past couple of months they've been together, the beach has become _their_ spot, the place only they know, despite the frequent visitors during the day. At night, though, it was a secret paradise created solely for them.

"Hurry up, Killian!" Emma exclaimed as she ran from the parking lot, over the sand dune, to a flat blanket of sand.

His footsteps weren't too far behind her. "You know you're too fast for me, love."

When he finally made it to her, she was already setting up the tripod that was in her back pack. She unfolded each leg, and firmly set it into the sand, making sure it was stable. Killian handed her the telescope barrel, which she secured on top, tightly screwing it in place. He then stood next to her, and bent forward to look into the eyepiece.

Adjusting the focus until he could properly see the sky, he moved the scope in the correct position. A few weeks ago, when he found out about the meteor that would be passing by Earth, he started to practice using the telescope so he could share it with Emma. And now, as he slowly scanned the sky, he finally found the bright white streak in the sky.

"Emma, I see it. Come here." He waved her over.

"Really?" She moved to his side, and bent down. The arc of light came into view against the black backdrop of the night sky. "Wow. It's beautiful, Killian!"

As she had her right on the eyepiece of the telescope, the left closed, she felt the soft brush of his lips on her cheek. It startled her, causing her body to jump, but she was able to keep a steady hand on the tripod to keep it from falling over and breaking the equipment.

A small hum came from her throat as she turned her head to face him. The blue of his eyes enlarged, and she immediately knew that look. The one that made her knees buckle and a hunger to swell between her thighs.

"Emma," he whispered into the night air. His breath formed tiny clouds that disappeared as they rested upon her cheeks. "I love you."

Her own breath was sucked to the back of her throat. It wasn't the first time her ever declared his love for her, but that didn't mean hearing him say it multiple times made it lose its punch. If anything, it only continued to add to her heart meter, sending her closer to exploding before him.

Each time he told her his feelings, the closer she came to having the words fall from her mouth. She loved him in her own way, though, even if she couldn't do so verbally. Telling him she loved him would take their relationship to the next level, one that scared her, due to the time stamp that dictated just how long they could be together. She knew _forever_ is just not possible for right now, but the future was also filled with too much uncertainty, that she felt herself holding back when it came to being completely open with him.

"Killian." All she could do was reach her arms around his neck and bring him close, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. His slightly chapped lips met hers, moving slowly together as their tongues extended against each other. She wanted to possess him, keep him under her spell for as long as he would let her.

Breaking from the kiss, Killian said, "Emma, there is something else I want to say."

"What is it?" She was still in the daze from the effects of his kiss.

He sighed. "I decided that I am not going to college. I am joining the Naval Service, like my brother did."

College was the last hope she had about keeping him close. They had talked a few times about the prospect of him going to a college near hers or at least within the area of Storybrooke. He never voiced any concerns or seemed opposed to the idea, so she placed a lot of hope and optimism in his decision to stay. So hearing him now made her feel a sliver of her heart shrivel in disappointment.

"You're not going to come back for college?"

He shook his head, and tucked a piece of hair that was in her face behind her ear. "Emma, you know I don't do well with books and homework. The Navy is my best shot at a good life."

At eighteen years old, in the grand scheme of things, she was still young and naïve, with a full life ahead of her. She'll love others, have her heart broken, and learn more about herself in the process. Everything that life has to offer was right at her fingertips, ready for her to reach out and take a chance. That was all she needed to do, but in spite of that, she only wanted to reach to him.

And all he wanted was to push her away.


End file.
